Rosa Gully isn't very popular, but there is one decent easy route there, Pox, a trad 17 I put up in 1979 or so. The FA was interesting, it was my friend Gary's first lead, I think I climbed up and got gear on the first ledge and then he led through, We went a few meters right to get through the bulge then traversed back left 5m and belayed on the next ledge. The gear was ok but it was very wandery. I led the top pitch which was was on grey crumbly rock and wasn't too flash.

Anyway, while doing The Last Wave, I looked across and thought it might make a good route if it were straightened out. I rapped down it thinking it might still be an ok trad route with maybe a bolt or two added, but was quickly disabused of that notion.

It now is a sport route that has the same start then goes easily through the roof and up flakes and cracks. Where the rock gets unpleasant (and the handjam crack through the final roof is full of prickly pear cactus) there's a loweroff.

Other routes I've been thinking about with an eye to clean/rebolt are Violet Town over at Diamond Bay (still on carrots?), and Posturing off of the Rosa Gully ledge, which sounds like it goes through some cool territory (the little group of corners and aretes up high above the ladder?).

Violet town, What'll the neighbours think, Ordeal by Fur, and Moore are all on carrots and could be replaced.
Posturering is not too hard, good positions (just scary and runout). Both it and Obscurity could have a few bolts and belays added to keep them as good trad routes.

I think there could be a good leftwards finish to Obscurity too, to avoid the crazy flake of cheese, it goes up the right side of the cheezy pancake.

And done. I thought the rock was good for the sea cliffs, great climbing! James broke a smaller foothold but held on.

Gary's first lead, seriously? ( "was it also his last?") Stone. Cold. Badass. If I ever meet him I owe him a beer and also he can talk about the good old days for as long as he wants. You could probably get good passive gear in parts, but definitely a lot of sketchiness.

It originally went a long way right and traversed back to belay on the second ledge. Oddly enuff, the old Sun, sea, and sandstone guide said follow the crack past lots of decaying gear. But no gear and no crack

On 7/01/2014 mikllaw wrote:>Oddly enuff, the old Sun, sea, and sandstone guide said follow>the crack past lots of decaying gear. But no gear and no crack

Don't trust that guide - the editor is a [redacted by Chockstone thought police].

I don't recall updating that route from what was in your 1991 Rock guide, Mikl. I did walk all around down there taking notes, and climbed a fair bit at Diamond Bay, but I didn't ever muster the courage to do any of the routes in Rosa Gully.

in that case you must have copied from one of my works of fiction. . The entire wall on the north side seems to have been wet since last century and is covered with corrosion product. The south wall is dry and ok rock.